Remotely operable trigger actuator

ABSTRACT

A remotely operable trigger actuator including a body adapted for mounting between the trigger housing and the trigger of a rifle or the like; a piston slidably mounted in a bore in the body and a remotely located pressure source connected to the bore in order to displace the piston and to actuate the trigger.

tlmted States Patent 1 1 [111 8,828,458 Skone-Palmer [45] A 13, 1974} [54] REMOTELY OPERABLE TRIGGER 1,323,609 12/1919 Pratt 42/69 B ACTUATOR 2,651,872 9/1953 DeSalardi 42/69 13 [76] Inventor: John R. Skone-Palmer, 1735 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Portsmouth, Suite 9, Houston, Tex. 45,119 11/1910 Austria 42/69 R 77006 Primary ExaminerBenjamin A. Borchelt [22] Flled June 1973 Assistant Examiner-C. T. Jordan [21] Appl. No.: 368,511 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Pravel, Wilson & Matthews 52 US. 01.. 42/69 R, 42/1 R [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl F4lc 19/06, F410 27/00 A r mo ly Operable trigger actuator including a body [58] Field of Search 42/69 R, 69 A, 69 B, 1 R, adapted for mounting between the trigger housing and 42/1 K; 89/27 F, 136 the trigger of a rifle or the like; a piston slidably mounted in a bore in the body and a remotely located [56] References Cited pressure source connected to the bore in order to dis- UNITED STATES PATENTS place the piston and to actuate the trigger. 348,868 9/1886 Straube 42/69 R 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The field of this invention relates to remotely operable fire arm actuators.

Although rifles and other firearms are mass produced, each rifle of the same style and make is likely to have different firing characteristics. This is at least partially due to structural differences in the barrels of the rifles. For the discerning marksman, it is desirable to determine the particular cartridge that produces the truest shot for each of his rifles. This is usually accomplished by alternately firing groups of cartridges having varying amounts of gunpowder at targets in order to deduce which cartridge provides the truest trajectory for a particular rifle. In order for this test firing to be accurate, the rifle should be aimed at the target perfectly for each shot.

In conducting the test firing, the marksman 'may use sand bags or the like as bracing and hand squeeze every shot. But, the human error is altogether too likely to affect the outcome. For it is more than likely that at least some of the shots will be off-center of the target due to poor sighting or trigger squeezing.

US. Pat. No. 348,868 disclosed a pneumatic device for discharging a firearm that included an expansible bulb mounted against the trigger and an air forcing bulb connected to the expansible bulb by a tube. The operator squeezed the air forcing bulb to expand the expansible bulb and actuate the trigger. US. Pat. No. 1,5 l3,634 discloses a spring actuated plunger for squeezing the trigger. Both of these devices do not completely remove the possibility of human interfer-,

ence since both the air forcing bulb in US. Pat. No. 348,868 as well as the plunger in US. Pat. No. 1,513,654 require the user to actuate the devices consistently and carefully, or the sighting of the rifle will be upset.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved device for discharging a firearm such as a rifle or the like from a position remote from the firearm. In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the device includes a body portion adapted for mounting between the trigger or guard and the trigger, the body portion having an actuating piston mounted in a bore therein. Spring means are mounted in the bore between the body portion and the actuator piston to resiliently urge the actuator piston into engagement with the trigger in the normal position. A pressure means which includes a container having pressurized gas therein is connected with the housing bore through a tube such that the trigger can be squeezed or fired by releasing a burst of gas from the container, the burst of gas under pressure passing through the connecting tube into the body portion to cause the piston to move to an extended, outward position thereby displacing and firing the trigger. Mount means are connected to the guard portion and extend downwardly over the trigger housing in order to secure the device to the trigger housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view of the complete device for remotely discharging a firearm such as a rifle in position in the trigger housing of a rifle;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the main body and piston of the device;

FIG. 3 is a top-side view in section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2 of the body portion and piston; and

FIG. 4 is a front view of the body portion and piston, which view clearly illustrates the mounting means thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, and in particular FIG. 1, the letter D generally designates the remotely operable device for discharging a firearm such as a rifle F. In FIG. 1, the rifle F is only partially illustrated and as shown, includes the stock 10 and trigger housing or guard 11 with the trigger 12 mounted therein. The device D is mounted between front portion 11a of the trigger guard and front, downwardly curving face of the trigger 12.

The actuating device D includes a main body portion 14 having a rear, concave surface 14a which is adapted to seat against the front trigger housing portion 11a. The body 14 has a cylindrical bore 14b machined therein to receive a piston 15. A side passage 14c extends between one side 14d of the body portion 14 and the bore 14b. A mounting tube Me is mounted in a countersunk portion 14f in the body side 14d such that there is fluid communication between the mounting tube 14s and the bore 14b.

The piston 15 is generally cylindrical in configuration and has an outer diameter slightly less than the inner diameter of the cylindrical bore 14b for the body 14. The annular area between the cylinder 15 and the body bore 14b is effectively sealed due to the tightness of the fit of the piston within the bore 14b. Further, any suitable material such as a high viscosity lubricant may be utilized to enhance the slidable mounting of the piston 15 in the bore 14b while at the same time at least partially sealing off the area between the piston 15 and the bore 14b. The slidable, at least partially sealable mounting of the piston 15 within the body bore 14b provides a chamber 14g.

The piston 15 has a concave front face 1511 which is adapted to seat against the front curved trigger face 12a. A coil spring 16 having an outer diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the bore 14b is mounted within the bore 14b and yieldably engages the piston 15. The coil spring 16 functions to yieldably urge the piston front face 15a against the front trigger face with the trigger 12 in the normal position as illustrated in FIG. 1. The resilient urging of the spring 16 against the piston 15 serves to maintain the piston 15 in a properly aligned position against the trigger 12 with the trigger 12 in the normal position.

The device D is secured against the trigger housing 11 by a mount means generally designated as 18. The

mount means 18a includes opposing, downwardly ex-.

order to protect the trigger housing 11 from scratching or other damage. Similarly, another nut and bolt combination 20 extends through the aligned lower strip openings 18d such that a protective sleeve 20a mounted thereover engages and secures the body 14 in position within the trigger housing 11. Thus, the upper and lower nut and bolt combinations l9 and 20, respectively (with the protective sleeves 19a and 20a mounted therewith), serve to engage top side 11c and bottom side 11d of the bottom trigger housing 111) in order to secure the device D within the trigger housing 1 1.

A pressurized container 21 is positioned at some point remote from the firearm F. The pressurized container 21 contains any suitable fluid such as a gas under pressure therein. A valve such as a rocker valve 21a controls the flow of the pressurized gas out of the container 21. The rocker valve is given that name since the user simply needs to tilt or rock the valve in order to allow the passage of pressurized gas out of the container. A connecting tube or hose 23 is mounted onto the valve outlet 21b and onto the body mounting tube 14s in order to provide communication between the pressurized gas in the container 21 and the body chamber 14g. The container 21 can be chosen from several suitable pressurized gas containers available on the market. For example, in one embodiment of this invention, it has been found that the container 21 may contain compressed freon and is sold under the name Commander-2 by Thorpe Industries, Inc. of Mountainside, New Jersey. Any suitable such pressurized container may be utilized so long as the container is capable of providing bursts of gas under pressure, preferably at a substantially constant pressure throughout the life of the container.

in the operation and use of the trigger actuating device D of the preferred embodiment of this invention, the firearm, such as a rifle, is positioned on sand bags or the like, and sighted such that the rifle is aimed perfectly at the target (not shown). The marksman then steps back to the location of the pressurized container 2] and simply rocks or tilts the valve 21a to cause a burst of gas under pressure to pass through the tube 23 into the body chamber 14g. The introduction of gas under pressure into the body chamber 14g causes the piston to move outwardly and thus rearwardly thereby moving the trigger 12 to a firing position. The rifle is then reloaded and the piston is returned to the normal position such that it is in resilient engagement (by spring 16) with the trigger 12 in a normal position. The rifle is then aimed at the target again and fired in a similar manner. This procedure is repeated so long as desired.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size, shape, and materials as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for remotely discharging a firearm, comprising:

a firearmhaving a trigger for firing said firearm and a trigger housing mounted about said trigger;

a body portion adapted for mounting between the trigger housing and the trigger of the firearm, said body portion having a bore therein;

an actuating piston mounted in said bore for slidable movement with respect to said bore;

spring means for urging said piston against said trigger with said trigger in a normal position; and

remotely located pressure means attached to said body portion for introducing pressurized fluid into said bore for moving said piston and said trigger to an extended, firing position.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said spring means includes a coil spring mounted in said bore in yieldable engagement with said piston.

3. The structure set forth in claim 1, including:

mount means for securing said body portion to the trigger housing.

4. The structure set forth in claim 1, including:

mounting strips extending from said body portion over the trigger housing; and

bolt means connecting said strips together on both sides of said trigger housing.

5. The structure set forth in claim 4, including:

said bolt means including bolts threadedly connecting said mounting strips; and

a protective sleeve mounted over each of said bolts to protect said trigger housing.

6. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein said pressure means includes:

a container containing a gas under pressure;

a valve mounted on said container to control the flow of said gas; and

a gas line attached to said valve and to said body portion.

7. The structure set forth in claim 1, including:

said piston having a concave face for seating said piston against said trigger.

8. The structure set forth in claim 1, including:

said body portion having a concave face for seating against said trigger housing. 

1. A device for remotely discharging a firearm, comprising: a firearm having a trigger for firing said firearm and a trigger housing mounted about said trigger; a body portion adapted for mounting between the trigger housing and the trigger of the firearm, said body portion having a bore therein; an actuating piston mounted in said bore for slidable movement with respect to said bore; spring means for urging said piston against said trigger with said trigger in a normal position; and remotely located pressure means attached to said body portion for introducing pressurized fluid into said bore for moving said piston and said trigger to an extended, firing position.
 2. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein: said spring means includes a coil spring mounted in said bore in yieldable engagement with said piston.
 3. The structure set forth in claim 1, including: mount means for securing said body portion to the trigger housing.
 4. The structure set forth in claim 1, including: mounting strips extending from said body portion over the trigger housing; and bolt means connecting said strips together on both sides of said trigger housing.
 5. The structure set forth in claim 4, including: said bolt means includinG bolts threadedly connecting said mounting strips; and a protective sleeve mounted over each of said bolts to protect said trigger housing.
 6. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein said pressure means includes: a container containing a gas under pressure; a valve mounted on said container to control the flow of said gas; and a gas line attached to said valve and to said body portion.
 7. The structure set forth in claim 1, including: said piston having a concave face for seating said piston against said trigger.
 8. The structure set forth in claim 1, including: said body portion having a concave face for seating against said trigger housing. 